Based on the year of their establishment, arrange the following regional organizations in correct chronological order : 1. The Shanghai Cooperation Organization 2. The South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation 3. The Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation 4. The Association of Southeast Asian Nations Select the answer using the code given below.
- (a)3-2-1-4
- (b)4-2-3-1
- (c)3-1-2-4
- (d)4-3-2-1
Correct — B, 4-2-3-1. Dating the four groupings settles the order at once. The Association of Southeast Asian Nations was founded at Bangkok in 1967 by Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand, so item 4 comes first. The South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation was established at Dhaka in December 1985 by seven South Asian states, so item 2 follows. Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation was launched at Canberra in 1989 as a forum for trade and economic cooperation across the Pacific rim, giving item 3. The Shanghai Cooperation Organization was formally created in 2001, when the Shanghai Five of 1996 admitted Uzbekistan and reconstituted itself, so item 1 comes last. The sequence is 1967, 1985, 1989, 2001.
- (a)3-2-1-4 — Places APEC first, but 1989 is later than both ASEAN in 1967 and SAARC in 1985.
- (c)3-1-2-4 — Also opens with APEC and then puts the Shanghai Cooperation Organization second, which moves the newest body of the four into the second position.
- (d)4-3-2-1 — Runs the sequence in reverse from ASEAN, giving 1967, 1989, 1985, 2001 — right at both ends and wrong in the middle, since SAARC precedes APEC by four years.
The four bodies span three different regional logics. ASEAN began as a Cold War grouping of non-communist Southeast Asian states and became the region's economic and diplomatic core. SAARC was created to give South Asia a cooperative framework and has been constrained by the India–Pakistan relationship ever since. APEC is not a regional organisation in the same sense but a trans-Pacific economic forum whose members are counted as economies rather than states. The Shanghai Cooperation Organization grew out of border-security talks between China, Russia and three Central Asian states and later expanded to include India and Pakistan in 2017.
Chronology items are best solved by anchoring on the extremes. ASEAN in 1967 is the oldest by nearly two decades and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization in 2001 the newest, so any option that does not open with item 4 and close with item 1 can be discarded — which leaves only one. The middle pair, if you need it, is settled by remembering that SAARC's founding summit at Dhaka in 1985 preceded APEC's launch at Canberra in 1989. A common trap is to date the Shanghai Cooperation Organization to 1996, when the Shanghai Five was formed; the organisation proper dates from 2001.
- ASEAN was founded at Bangkok in 1967 by Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand.
- SAARC was established at Dhaka in December 1985 with seven founding members; Afghanistan joined in 2007.
- Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation was launched at Canberra in 1989 and counts members as economies.
- The Shanghai Cooperation Organization was formed in 2001 out of the Shanghai Five of 1996.
- India and Pakistan became full members of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization in 2017.
- 1967 — Association of Southeast Asian Nations, founded at Bangkok
- 1985 — South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation, founded at Dhaka
- 1989 — Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation, launched at Canberra
- 2001 — Shanghai Cooperation Organization, formed out of the Shanghai Five
Anchor the oldest and the newest first; only one option opens with ASEAN and closes with the Shanghai Cooperation Organization.
- Dating the Shanghai Cooperation Organization to 1996, when its predecessor grouping was formed.
- Assuming APEC is older than SAARC because it involves larger economies.
- Confusing SAARC's 1985 founding with the 1983 South Asian Regional Cooperation programme that preceded it.
Asked as a four-item chronology of regional groupings, decided by anchoring the oldest and newest and eliminating.
Consider the following statements: 1. China has observer status at the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation. 2. India has observer status at the Shanghai Cooperation Organization. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
- (a) 1 only
- (b) 2 only
- (c) Both 1 and 2
- (d) Neither 1 nor 2
Answer(c) Both 1 and 2
Two of the same four bodies, tested on membership rather than founding date. Note how the position has moved since: India was an observer at the Shanghai Cooperation Organization then and is a full member now.
Match List-I with List-II and select the correct answer using the code given below the Lists: List-I (Regional block): A. ASEAN, B. CIS, C. EU, D. OPEC List-II (Headquarters): 1. Brussels, 2. Vienna, 3. Minsk, 4. Jakarta
- (a) A-4, B-3, C-1, D-2
- (b) A-4, B-1, C-3, D-2
- (c) A-2, B-1, C-3, D-4
- (d) A-2, B-3, C-1, D-4
Answer(a) A-4, B-3, C-1, D-2
CAPF asks about the same set of regional blocks from a different angle — headquarters rather than founding year. ASEAN at Jakarta is worth carrying alongside its 1967 founding.
- practice — not a real PYQ
The Shanghai Cooperation Organization was formed in 2001 out of which earlier grouping?
- (a)The Shanghai Five
- (b)The Warsaw Pact
- (c)The Commonwealth of Independent States
- (d)The Central Asian Union
Answer(a) The Shanghai Five — which became the SCO on the admission of Uzbekistan.
- practice — not a real PYQ
In which year did India become a full member of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization?
- (a)2005
- (b)2011
- (c)2017
- (d)2020
Answer(c) 2017 — India and Pakistan were admitted together at the Astana summit.